Rep. Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Program within the Fulbright exchange system to honor civil rights leader John Lewis and advance U.S. foreign policy through global civil rights education. It creates a new fellowship for U.S. early- to mid-career professionals, selecting at least 25 annually for 10-month programs to conduct research or intern with approved organizations in countries participating in Fulbright exchanges. Fellows must complete a work plan, attend an orientation in Washington, DC, and present findings at an annual summit, with the State Department covering costs for travel, lodging, and expenses. The program requires annual reports on participant demographics and program effectiveness, and expires seven years after enactment.

Maddy summaryHR 4218, the Puerto Rico National Scenic Trail Study Act, designates a 200-mile trail system across Puerto Rico as a National Scenic Trail under federal law. The trail would run from Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve in Fajardo to Morrillos Peninsula in Cabo Rojo, passing through El Yunque National Forest, the Sierra de Luquillo, Sierra de Cayey, Cordillera Central, and southwestern dry forests. This designation incorporates the trail into the National Trails System, subjecting it to federal management standards and potential conservation funding. The bill directly affects Puerto Rico's natural landscapes and communities along this route by establishing a framework for preservation and public access.

Maddy summaryThis House resolution (HRES 377) calls for the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen and Wall Street Journal reporter wrongfully detained by Russia since March 2023. It urges the U.S. government to press Russia for his release, demands consular access for him, and condemns Russia's detention of journalists. The resolution specifically references Gershkovich’s arrest on espionage charges without public evidence, aligning with Secretary Blinken’s designation of his detention as wrongful. It also extends similar calls for the release of other detained Americans, including Paul Whelan.

Maddy summaryHR 4015 updates the U.S. strategy for engagement with Caribbean nations by adding specific policy goals to the existing 2016 Act. It directs the U.S. government to reduce illicit firearm trafficking to the region, combat lottery scams targeting Americans, and support Caribbean security forces. The bill also requires enhanced cooperation on energy security (promoting renewable power), climate resilience, public health infrastructure, food security, and expanding internet access - especially for marginalized communities. The updated strategy must involve agencies like Defense, Justice, and Treasury, and will guide U.S. efforts to strengthen partnerships across these areas. This affects Caribbean nations partnering with the U.S. on security, climate, health, and economic initiatives.

National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act This bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support, and Community Outreach Program. The bill further directs DOJ to award a grant under the program to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund for the expenses associated with community outreach, public education, and officer safety and wellness programs operated by the of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and National Law Enforcement Museum.

Maddy summaryHR 3205, the Project Precursor Act, authorizes $64 million to strengthen Mexican law enforcement's capacity to disrupt fentanyl supply chains through equipment, training, and forensic support for agencies targeting fentanyl trafficking. The bill requires the U.S. to prioritize Mexico in anti-fentanyl efforts and mandates using U.S. fentanyl-related death tolls as the primary metric to evaluate program success, rather than drug seizure statistics. It also includes provisions for a public diplomacy campaign to delegitimize cartels, a report on Chinese operations in Mexico related to fentanyl, and expanded sanctions against foreign banks, money transmitters, and transnational criminal organizations like the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartels.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the National Weather Service (NWS) to replace its outdated internal messaging system (NWSChat) with a commercial cloud-based solution to improve communication among staff. It mandates the NWS Director to implement this upgrade by 2027, using up to $3 million annually from existing NWS funding for fiscal years 2024-2027. The new system must support future growth and handle increased user demand. This directly affects NWS personnel who rely on internal communications for weather forecasting and public safety operations. The bill focuses solely on updating the technology infrastructure, not on new weather policies or public services.

AANAPISI Opportunity Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a scholarship grant program for covered Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISIs) to provide scholarships in agriculture-related fields. Covered institutions include community colleges, colleges, or universities that (1) have a student body consisting of at least 10% Asian American or Native American Pacific Islander students; and (2) offer associate, bachelors, or other accredited degree programs in agriculture-related fields. USDA may only award the grants to AANAPISIs that have established a competitive scholarship awards process for individuals who intend to pursue a career in agriculture, including in the agricultural disciplines of business, engineering, technology, food science, forestry, home economics, nutrition, soil conservation, non-medical biological sciences, and computer science. This bill also allows USDA to provide competitive grants for up to five years for integrated agricultural research, education, and extension projects at covered AANAPISIs to address U.S. agriculture priorities. The project grants include a 50% matching funds requirement that USDA may waive if certain requirements are met.

Maddy summaryHR 3193, the Employment Services and Jobs Parity Act, amends the Wagner-Peyser Act to include the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa in federal employment service funding allocations, which previously only covered Guam. The bill sets funding for these territories based on the same percentage of total available funds that Guam received in fiscal year 1983, ensuring parity in their allocation. It also prevents states from receiving reduced funding due to this change and requires proportional reductions if total funds are insufficient. This adjustment directly affects residents of these territories by expanding access to federal job training and employment services.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies how distilled spirits taxes collected in Puerto Rico are handled. It repeals a rule limiting tax coverage to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, allowing those territories to transfer certain distilled spirits taxes to the U.S. Treasury. Crucially, it requires Puerto Rico to transfer 1/6 of the tax difference (above $10.50 per gallon) from rum taxes covered over into the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust Fund, which supports natural habitat conservation and sustainable agriculture. This directly affects Puerto Rico's rum industry and ensures a portion of those tax revenues funds conservation efforts.